Blue is a Sleepy Colour

33- Hey, kids (Part One)

"Are you sure it's a good idea to get so close?!"

Amethyst watched as Steven gripped his bow harder, groaning loudly in irritation.

"I can't poof it if I don't get close to it you clown!" He snapped, furrowing his brow as he drew an arrow back. Amethyst frowned.

"I lost a stick, I think I know where it went..." She mumbled in reply, causing Steven to glance at her briefly. He just decided to ignore her.

With a soundly snap, the arrow was released, hurtling towards the slinker and embedding itself in one of its many black tentacles. It cried out in pain, but still didn't poof.

"Fantastic." Grumbled Steven, lowering his bow and took a few steps back towards Amethyst. "How did this thing escape the Temple anyway? We were super careful!"

The pair (much to Steven's dismay) currently found themselves fighting an annoyingly powerful corrupted gem unnervingly close to Ocean Town's High School.

Which, by fate's design, Connie, Elizabeth and Jeff just so happened to attend; a fact which made Steven incredibly uncomfortable. He only prayed the slinker (Amethyst nicknamed it) didn't get any closer to it.

"I don't know how it escaped! We must've left the door open or something!" Amethyst quickly dodged one of its tentacles. Much too close for comfort.

"The lack of water around here is really starting to get on my nerves!" He huffed. "I can only do so much with a pathetic arrow!"

"Can't you sense water or something?! Just see if there's a drain nearby, or do that thing Mirror Lapis taught you and just get water from the air."

"Goodness. How didn't I think of that." He replied flatly.

"Look, I don't know who pissed in your cereal this morning but GET IT TOGETHER!"

Steven summoned his wings and hopped into the air, not wasting time to flip his middle finger up at her as he climbed higher into the sky. He reached into his quiver, grabbing an explosive arrow and drawing it back through the bow's string. Once it had enough tension, he released the arrow, a smirk forming on his face as a fiery hot explosion caused the slinker to screech.

But, of course, it. Still. Didn't. Poof.

Now, more provoked than ever, the slinker reached a long disgusting tentacle towards Steven, wrapping it around his torso and slamming him into the ground. He was dragged down with a scream, his voice cracking rather ungracefully.

"Steven!" Shouted Amethyst, whipping the tentacle away from Steven.

He coughed roughly, quickly getting back up to his feet. Fazed, he looked down to his arm and gasped. His hoodie sleeve had been ripped off entirely, leaving lightly grazed pale skin exposed.

"Motherfucker!" He exclaimed.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?!" Amethyst rushed over to him, checking his thin body for injuries.

"No! It broke my hoodie, Amethyst!" He pulled it over his head, dumping the broken fabric on the ground. "Now it's personal." 

Amethyst turned around and sighed, running a hand over her face. She paused, looking pensive. 

"What're you thinking?" Muttered Steven. 

"I'm thinking we got distracted and it got away." 

"WHAT?!" 

"You're not listening, you have to evacuate immediately!" 

Arguing with an ignorant man is not how Steven imagined spending his afternoon. He imagined he's be doing some team building exercises with Peridot and Lapis since she moved into the barn, or maybe adding any final touches to the drill. Or maybe, just maybe, relaxing for the first time in almost a year.